Fated to Pretend
by blowers-daughtr
Summary: A slightly different slant on the "Dancing Through Life" and "Popular" scenes. Pairing: Gelphie.
1. Chapter 1

Elphaba wasn't used to the stirring that accompanied her arrival at Shiz. She wasn't accustomed the simultaneous sickness and elation, and the way her stomach threatened to empty its contents.

It began with light and an aversion to physical beauty. After all, what good was a pretty exterior without an interior to match? What a waste. How terribly frustrating. And to be forced into such close proximity with such a waste, it was nauseating.

"Really," Galinda said as she shook her head ever so slightly so her hair tumbled over her shoulder. "I wish you wouldn't sulk so much. A gloomy attitude is contagious, you know, and I hardly think it's fair for you to impose that on me."

"So ignore me," the green girl said simply, never raising her eyes from the pages of her textbook.

Galinda sighed dramatically, "I'm not like you, Miss Elphaba. Pretending the things I despise don't exist doesn't make them disappear."

"You despise me?"

"There isn't any point in sugarcoating it, I suppose." Galinda said earnestly as she perched on the seat of her vanity near the window. "I don't like you."

"I don't like you, either." Elphaba said, somewhat triumphantly as vocalizing her dislike of Galinda served to quell the uneasiness Elphaba had been plagued with since arriving at Shiz.

"Could you pretend to, at least? I pretend to like you, you know. I treat you civilly. I say hello to you. You don't say a word to me."

"I'm not fond of pretending."

"Did you know that smiling when you're unhappy can make you happy?" Galinda asked as she gazed at her own reflection as she combed her hair.

"I don't believe it."

"It's true. If the muscles in your face think you're happy they'll tell your brain that you are, and then you are happy. It's the same with sulking, you know. The more you sulk the more miserable you'll be."

Elphaba's eyes narrowed as they fixated on the petite blonde, the sunlight glowing in her hair, the airiness of her voice, and the weight of her words.

It was laughable, almost, that Elphaba could possibly learn anything from her airhead of a roommate. After all, there was nothing of substance caged in that blissful blonde head of hers, just pretend smiles and forced laughter—all for show and none for real.

Yes, that Galinda thought she possessed knowledge Elphaba did not was laughable. And Elphaba would have laughed had she not been feeling so nauseous.


	2. Chapter 2

Elphaba experienced the stirring, this time, with her sister. Nessa was ecstatic, and naturally, Elphaba was happy for her.

"I'm going to the party tonight!" Nessa gushed. Elphaba knelt at her side as Nessa explained that one of their classmates had been too afraid to speak to Nessa without encouragement from…

"Galinda?" Elphaba nearly spat as her stomach twisted.

"Don't say another word against her, Elphaba. I'm about to have the best night of my life, and all because of Galinda."

Typical of the stirring feeling, Elphaba's uneasiness was difficult to place. Jealousy that Nessa had been invited to the party and Elphaba hadn't? Skepticism that Galinda possessed ulterior motives? Unwillingness to admit that Galinda was capable of doing something good?

Elphaba sat on a bench in the courtyard of her dormitory, alone, to ponder her possible envy, skepticism, and denial. It was no wonder a scowl twisted her features when Galinda found her.

She rounded the building giggling, flanked by two female classmates who laughed in time with everything Galinda said.

"I couldn't possibly, girls," Galinda was laughing and holding a large round box, "it isn't like me to—Elphaba!"

As if on cue, Galinda's cohorts scurried away, giggling obnoxiously as they did.

"Galinda, Nessa and I were just talking about you…"

"Oh, and I was just talking about you!" Galinda beamed. "I thought you might like to wear this to the party tonight."

She thrust a dark-colored, pointed, hat into the green girl's arms, startling her and causing her to take a step back.

"But I wasn't invited to the party," said Elphaba.

"Oh, nonsense, Elphie!"

The pet name was sickening.

"You must come!" Galinda bubbled as she swatted Elphaba's shoulder amicably, "And you must wear this! Now, I don't know what you're doing out here, but I must finish beautifying myself for Fiyero."

Fiyero, Elphaba thought, Galinda's equally shallow, equally attractive beau, who was almost as sickening as Galinda. Nevertheless, Galinda had done something nice for Nessa, and had given Elphaba a gift, and the least Elphaba could do was give Galinda something in return.

*

Elphaba's insides turned in on themselves when Galinda touched her shoulder.

"May I join you?" Galinda wondered. Her voice wasn't nearly as high in pitch or as airy as it usually was.

Elphaba made no movement to walk away from Galinda, and allowed her to stand beside her.

"Thank you," Galinda said after a few moments of silence, "for convincing Madame Morrible to include me in her sorcery lessons."

Elphaba nodded, and adjusted the brim of her hat. Galinda squirmed, and glanced around at her friends, who were struggling to contain their laughter.

"Elphaba, would you…" Galinda began, "…would you dance with me?"

"I--"

"Please?" Galinda's eyes widened and her cerulean irises sparkled, "just for a little?"

Despite the ache in Elphaba's abdomen, she found herself following Galinda to the dance floor, where they stood clumsily beside each other before Galinda led and Elphaba followed. They danced around each other, never touching but maintaining constant eye contact until the churning in Elphaba's stomach became too painful and too good to be true, all at once.

"Thank you." Galinda whispered when the music ended and the lights brightened. She held Elphaba's hand and squeezed it, before letting go and gliding to the place her friends and Fiyero stood staring.

"Really, girls, she isn't bad at all." Elphaba overheard Galinda say in hushed tones, "We've sorely misjudged her, and as the most popular girls in school we must set an example that it is unacceptable to ostracize one for a difference one cannot help."


	3. Chapter 3

Galinda turned in to her dormitory nearly an hour after Elphaba did, but Elphaba was still awake. Galinda giggled, stumbling slightly as she closed the door behind her.

"Good evening, Miss Elphie!" Galinda sang as she threw off her shawl and kicked off her heels.

"Good evening, Galinda." Elphaba replied, arching an eyebrow as she observed her roommate.

"I hope you had a wonderful time at the party," Galinda said, "I know I did."

"I enjoyed it," Elphaba smiled, "thanks."

"Oh, don't thank me! It was my pleasure to dance with you."

Elphaba's stomach twisted.

"I…" Elphaba started, "I enjoyed it, as well."

Galinda smiled even wider and rolled onto her bed, "Elphie?"

"Yes, Galinda?"

"Now that we're friends," Galinda began as she twirled a lock of yellow hair around her finger, "will you let me do something nice for you?"

"I…I suppose so. If you'd like."

"I've decided how I'm going to help you." Galinda said, sitting up and facing Elphaba. "I'll fix your hair and your clothes, and your attitude, too! They'll all see you as I do, and surely they'll love you!"

"You don't have to do that." Elphaba protested as Galinda flitted from her bed to Elphaba's.

"I know." Galinda said as she nestled against Elphaba's side, and Elphaba smelt the thickness of wine on her breath. "But I want to."

"Galinda, are you—"

"No, no, no, Elphie! Now is not the time for questions!" Galinda twisted her fingers through Elphaba's long plait, combing her fingers through the silky dark strands.

"Wear your hair like this," Galinda instructed as she positioned a few waves of Elphaba's long hair in front of her shoulders, "you have beautiful hair and you have to let everyone see it. That's what it's about, Elphie, accentuating your finer points, and then the rest will follow. Now, for your lips. Makeup isn't putting on a different face, it's about making what you already have more beautiful."

Galinda drew a tube of lipstick from her cleavage and removed the cap with her teeth. "Open your mouth,"

The green girl did as she was told, and Galinda spread a layer of pink onto her lips.

"Now," Galinda instructed, "Like this," she pressed her lips together and opened them so they made a soft 'pop.'

Elphaba imitated Galinda, and tasted the sweetness of strawberry flavoring on her lips, _what her lips taste like_.

Elphaba blanched, and kicked herself for having thought.

Galinda took a step back to admire her work.

"Entrancing," she breathed as she ran her fingers lightly over Elphaba's hair. "Do you feel beautiful?"

"I don't—I don't know." Elphaba managed as she attempted to swallow her queasiness.

"Have you ever kissed anyone, Elphie?" Galinda asked, her hands resting softly on Elphaba's shoulders.

"No."

"Do you know how to?"

"I…I never thought--" It was a lie. She had thought.

"Now that I've helped you realize your beauty, boys are going to want to kiss you. And how will you kiss them if you don't know how?"

"I don't know."

Galinda laughed a little, "Shall I show you?"

"Show me?…what?"

"Hold still." Galinda let her hands drop to Elphaba's waist where she linked them behind the green girl's back.

"I'm finding that…" Elphaba stammered as she struggled to ignore the heat of Galinda's arms circling her waist, "I'm finding that quite difficult."

"Nonsense, Elphie. Kissing is easy." Before Elphaba could respond or protest Galinda's mouth was on Elphaba's.

"There," Galinda said when she pulled away. "That's how you start, with little kisses, like this," she kissed Elphaba again, briefly before giggling as Elphaba sat stunned.

"And then," Galinda continued, "when you've warmed to each other," Galinda's hand traveled up the length of Elphaba's back to her neck, then to the back of her head.

"When you've warmed to each other, you…" Galinda's lips were warm and soft on Elphaba's. As Galinda's mouth opened, Elphaba's did too, and when Galinda's tongue slipped between Elphaba's lips, Elphaba shuddered.

"Pretend I'm a boy." Galinda breathed as she kissed Elphaba with more fervor. They melded together, their bodies flush against each other as Elphaba tasted strawberry and Galinda's mouth.

"Well," Galinda sighed when she pulled away. Her cheeks were red and she was breathing heavily. "Now you know."

Elphaba was trembling. Her mouth was slightly open and she couldn't meet Galinda's eyes.

"Did you feel anything?" Galinda wondered.

It stirred. It seethed and it twisted with unrest and wanting, until Elphaba swallowed it down, shook her head, and feigned composure.

"No," Elphaba said in even tones that did not betray the stirring, "I didn't feel a thing."


End file.
